Catholics still need sacrament of confession

To the Editor:
The July 3 editorial “Sacrament of Mercy” states “Now we are pointing toward the God of love beyond imagining, like a mother who has no boundaries when it involves her children. Her arms are always open. Reconciliation and communion, not confession, really is her priority.”
Every stable family requires a mother and father. The father, hopefully, does place boundaries on his child to keep him or her safe and secure, disciplining as needed. There can’t be reconciliation until the misbehavior ceases. There’s no growth towards maturity until the child realizes a correction must be made in thought, word and deed. That is what reconciling (confession) is all about. Each of us is that child. Only then can there be communion.
A holy Italian priest, Padre Pio, heard confessions 15 to 18 hours daily from 1918 to 1923. In later years, as his health declined — due to immense pain and blood loss from the wounds of Jesus Christ that Padre Pio bore on his body to his death in 1968 — he still heard confessions five to eight hours every day. That’s approximately 5 million confessions.
We are still attracted to holy people. Are we now any less in need of this sacrament sent from God (John 20:21-23) than in St. Pio’s time? No, the awareness and acknowledgement of our sins decrease as we devolve into the immoral chaos of these times.
Yes, we need that sacrament! We do NOT “need new rituals.” Let’s learn, as new again, old rituals which we have forgotten and ridiculed.
The more we utilize the sacrament of confession the more we become sensitive to the lifting of the weight of sin off our shoulders as we leave the confessional. Confess and receive the absolution of Christ Jesus through the priest; the consecrated, anointed instrument of God’s forgiveness.
Holly Martin
Sigourney

E-edition is an electronic digital replica version of our print edition that can be viewed with a computer or tablet.
It is searchable, zoomable and all photos are in color!**Enjoy Today!**To subscribe to the paper, E-edition or both: Contact your parish today or messenger@davenportdiocese.org (563) 323-9959